Civitas Londinum Ano Dni circiter MDLX.: P.14789-R

Titles

Civitas Londinum Ano Dni circiter MDLX.

Maker(s)

Printmaker: Vertue, George
Draughtsman: Agas, Ralph (Attributed to; after)
Publisher: Society of Antiquaries

Entities

• Map

Categories

• Print

Description

Eight sheets, conjoined and laid down on linen in two strips, showing the development of London at the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
A facsimile (with modifications) by George Vertue after a famous map of London known as the "Woodcut" map and often referred to as the "Agas" map of London, named for the land surveyor, Radulph [Ralph] Agas (c.1540–1621), who was thought to have created it during the1560s, although this attribution is thought to be dubious.
The "Woodcut" map is one of the earliest true maps, as opposed to panoramic views, of the City of London and its environs. The original map probably dated from the early 1560s, but it survives only in later and slightly modified copies. Vertue (who was largely responsible for circulating the attribution to Agas) engraved his version of the map in 1737 on eight sheets of what was described as 'pewter' for the Society of Antiquaries of London. (His wife gave the plates to the SAL in 1775, see Alexander, 2008) Vertue was criticised for making his copy appear more ancient than it really was, including adding a false date of '1560', ('MDLX').
The map extends from 'Westmynster Hall', seen on the sheet at lower left, to the Tower of London, seen on the sheet at lower right. The fields, trees, hedges and rooftops on the sheet at upper centre right have been coloured by hand. A small area of the sheet below (lower centre right) is similarly coloured, likewise, the decorative frame of a cartouche on the sheet at lower right. At upper left: a circular medallion surmounted by a crown and containing a shield bearing the arms of Elizabeth I. At upper right: the coat of arms of the City of London. The title is printed across the upper edge in between the two coats of arms: 'CIVITAS LONDINUM Ano Dni circiter MDLX.'. A cartouche at lower right contains a key to landmarks identified on the map with lowercase letters: 'e Tower Bridge ...'. Another key with a border on three sides is located at lower centre, across the lower centre left and lower centre right sheets and contains landmarks identified by capital letters and lowercase letters a-d.
To the left of this key, a small portion of the map has been torn away and a paper repair made with a hand-drawn continuation of the border and hand-drawn markings to indicate grass or marsh, as is seen in other areas of the map. However, this 'restoration' is false, as the area torn away removed Vertue's name, publisher and date: 'Vertue Soc Antiq. Lond. /excudit 1737' (See impression at the British Museum, 1880,1113.1117-1118). It may be that the false restoration indicates a later state, like another impression at the British Museum (Cc,5.1) which has Vertue's name etc. burnished out.
A cartouche with frame decorated with baroque scrolls and lion heads contains a description of the map: 'LONDINUM ANTIQUA / The PLAN shews the ancient extent of the famous Cities / of LONDON and WESTMINSTER as it was near the / beginning of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth these Plates for / their great scarcity are re-ingraved to Oblidge the Curious / and to hane to Posterity this Old Prospect Whereby at one / veing may be seen how Much was built of this / populous CITY and parts adjacent at that time / Raddulphus Aggas in his OOxoniaue Antique published A.D. 1578 says Near ten years past the Author made a doubt / whether to print or lay this work aside / Untill he first had LONDON platted out / These Remarkable Buildings were not Erected when ys plan was taken / *The Whitehall Banqueting House ye 1st Buildg was of Timber Ano / * The Royal Exchange (not built) before 1570 / * Moore Feilds not divided nor planted / * Lambs Conduit on Snon hill about 1580 / *Paget Place so call'd till the Death of Lord Paget Ano 1563'.

Legal notes

Given by E. Evelyn Barron, 1938-07-20